Schedule of Events

I was selected to direct my script for David Grannis’ Advanced Cinema Production class. It is a 15-minute student film that I wrote, assembled a production crew, held auditions to find a cast, directed and edited along with my producer Zhamak Fooladbakhsh. It is the story of a girl, Tera, who is kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend, Max. The story then shows the process of her father and best friend, Emily, trying to find where and whom Tera is with once they notice that she is missing. For this film, Zhamak and I went through every step that a high budget movie does. We rewrote several scenes from the script, created story boards of scenes, booked locations to film, gathered props, created wardrobes for the actors, created a shot list for the cinematographer, Andrew Gregorovic, and then executed on our two days of filming. We had the opportunity of working with professional equipment while working with a deadline to get our work done. It was a rigorous process that opened our eyes to just how much work goes into the making of a film. Most importantly, it provided great experience for us as we pursue a career in film after college.

Sock, a short film that chronicles a woman with OCD after her routine is broken when she loses her sock. Recent graduate, Stephen Bernsten, directed and wrote the film. Devin Foster, co-produced and Erik Standke was the cinematographer. The film was shot over the course of two weekends in November 2016. Challenges include casting changes, varying locations, and busy schedules. Standke and Foster edited the film during the spring semester for their independent studies. The editing process included laying down audio, music and sound effects, color correcting, and creating graphics. The goal of the project was to create a film that demonstrated Stephen Bernsten’s vision and created an accurate portrayal of a person with OCD. It also helped prepare us for the next step in our journeys as Communication students within the film industry.

Rufus is a coming-of-age short film about two graduating seniors changing each other's lives and gaining new purpose. It was written and directed by Lauren Parker. Richard Lombardi was the cinematographer and co-editor. The film was shot in three days in the Fall with a collective 25 hours on set. It was then edited in Spring for an independent study. In order to make the production run smoothly, it was doable because of detailed schedules and preparation. The cast and crew were able to finish ahead of the schedule with very few on set issues. The purpose of creating Rufus was to put dreams of being filmmakers to reality. Some of the story is related to Lauren's life, which made it easy to write about. Other parts were purely fictional. Overall, the process of writing, shooting, and editing the film was a lot of fun. This project has inspired us to pursue our dreams and to keep creating films.